BOB LAWRENCE takes a five-star break in Cheshire

THERE are many similarities between the cities of Chester and York, but one thing that Chester has which York hasn't is a five-star hotel.

So when my wife and I got the chance to try out the Chester Grosvenor we jumped at it.

We took the scenic route from York, driving down into the Derbyshire Peak District before crossing into Cheshire. At Chester we followed the signs for city centre hotels, knowing that the Grosvenor is right in the heart of the pedestrian area inside the medieval walls. This brought us to a barrier outside the Town Hall where an attendant checked to make sure that we were booked into the Grosvenor before he would let us through.

Soon we were outside the impressive Chester Grosvenor where we found we were booked into a spacious room with a huge bed and plush bathroom. The air-conditioning was efficient and noiseless.

The busy Arkle restaurant offered a choice of a two-course dinner for £40, a three-course dinner for £48.00 or a "Gastronomic" dinner for £45. We resisted the temptation to go for a Russian Beluga caviar starter with potato crepes and crme fraiche, which was on the menu for a supplement of £85 per head.

While we were waiting for the starters to arrive a waiter wheeled a trolley over to find out which of about 14 different types of bread we wanted with our meal then proceeded to cut the slices for us there and then.

We noticed that while the waiters had set tables to serve, there was no hiatus as they readily helped each other out. They did not have to ask us which order was which either.

I was also very impressed with my braised ox cheek, dressed with fillet of Aberdeen Angus on a bed of sweet carrots. The Aberdeen Angus came well done, as requested, which was a surprise in itself and a testimony to the fact that the staff listen to what guests want.

After breakfast - full English at £14.50 a head or Continental at £10.50 - sales and marketing manager Jonathan McLeod took us on a tour of the hotel to show off its facilities, including conference rooms and fitness suite. On the way round he was exchanging pleasantries with the staff we met and also with painters and decorators working on a rolling programme to keep the hotel up to date and in tip-top condition.

Chester itself has a lot going for it and one excellent way of checking this out is to get hold of the beautifully-designed leaflet for the Chester Millennium Festival Trail - a city walk covering the city's most important buildings.

All 40 buildings on the three-mile trail, laid down last year, were selected by local people as "outstanding examples of Chester's architectural development over two millennia, from Roman times to the present day". These included the cathedral and the medieval walls. It's a beautiful city with a great hotel.

Fact file

u The Chester Grosvenor, owned by Grosvenor Estates and the Duke of Westminster, boasts 85 bedrooms, ranging from £135 to £235 each per night, all individually designed and furnished with the finest fabrics.

u Bookings to Chester Grosvenor, Eastgate, Chester, CH1 1LT. Tel 01244 324024. Emails chesgrove@chestergrosvenor.co.uk

u For tourist information and events, contact Tourism Development Unit, Chester City Council, The Forum, Chester, CH1 2HS. Tel 01244 402525.

Emails: tourism@chestercc.gov.uk